“What was the argument about?” I asked carefully, not wanting to pry any more than Aldwin was willing to reveal. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”
“It was about her husband to be, Myles Grayson. She still blames me for his ‘disappearance’,” Aldwin replied as he raised a hand to rub his eyes while waving my concerns away with the other.
“Who was he?” I asked. “And why would she blame you?”
“Myles was my second in command when I was in charge of the Prince’s protective detail,” Aldwin replied. “The two of us, three of us, if you included the prince, were like brothers, even beyond the call of duty.”
Looking down from the ceiling, Aldwin fixed me with a steady gaze before he continued speaking. “He was the one who saved me after the ambush where the prince was killed when by all accounts I should have died.”
“You never mentioned what happened during the ambush,” I said slowly, not wanting to push the knight into reliving a bad memory if he didn’t want to.
“We never saw it coming,” the older man grunted, his face grimacing as he spoke. “One moment we were cutting our way through a routed horde of orcs and goblins, then the next thing I knew…I had taken four arrows and was desperately trying to get to the prince’s side.”
Aldwin paused to tap two spots on his chest, one under and one above his heart before touching his stomach and side, marking the spots where the arrows had hit him. “I knew I was too far away to make a difference after he fell, but I was beyond reason. I had to get to his side. I felt that the least I could do was die beside him to somehow make up for not being able to save him.”
“But before I could even cross half the distance towards him, my body failed me, and I collapsed.” Aldwin clenched a hand over his heart as his eyes glazed over. “My memories of the time afterward are faint and fragmented, but I remember Myles dragging me free from the chaos and speaking to me as he pulled the arrows from my body and healed my wounds. At one point, I passed out from the pain, and by the time I awoke again, I was back in Eberia, and Myles was nowhere to be found.”
“He was one of the survivors then too,” I stated, remembering what Aldwin had told me several weeks ago in this very study, that there had only been six survivors from the ambush that had claimed the prince’s life.
“Yes,” Aldwin affirmed. “After the battle, he vanished…in as much that we never found his body to prove that he may have…”
“Committed suicide,” I finished, seeing the Bann nod sadly at me.
“According to what I was told, he disappeared barely an hour after bringing me back to Eberia,” Aldwin said. “He left no note, or took anything of his with him…I have always thought that he climbed one of the bluffs and cast himself into the ocean…to escape what had happened.”
Survivor’s guilt, I thought as Aldwin and I lapsed into a momentary silence, the older man turning his head to stare out the window. They fought for decades to end The War and the moment that it did, they lost the two symbols that kept the nation unified.
“How do you know Veronia?” I asked, changing the topic and finally breaking the stillness that had come over the room. “From what I overheard in the meeting, her father is in the military too?”
“Her father, Marshal Abraham Tarius, is the Eberian military,” Aldwin replied with a tone of reverence. “He is in charge of the army and the reason why Eberia survived The War. Before he took command of the military, nearly thirty years ago, we paid dearly in blood to hold onto The Bulwark and keep Eberia from being overrun by the Orcs. His leadership and example saved countless lives, and over three decades eventually shifted the war in our favor.”
“I see.” I nodded in understanding as pieces began to fit together in my mind. “You must have worked with him closely to watch after the prince.”
“We did,” Aldwin affirmed. “And that is how Veronia met Myles. She was her father’s protégé and spent most of her career learning at his side. Naturally, the prince worked closely with the marshal, and by extension so did the Royal Knights. The constant proximity allowed for Ronia and Myles’s love to bloom as the years passed.”
“But ever since Myles vanished, no…died,” Aldwin corrected himself, revealing what he truly thought happened to his old friend. “Veronia hasn’t been the same. She has been consumed by a cold rage that even her father hasn’t been able to put out, and has pushed everyone close to her away. I of all people am no stranger to what grief can do to a person, but the burden she carries on her heart has twisted her from the woman I once knew.”
Aldwin let out a deep sigh as he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face once more. “Seeing her again for the first time brought back memories I hadn’t thought about in ages…and wounds I had thought healed.”
There was a long pause as Aldwin collected his thoughts one last time.
“At any rate, however, I appreciate your timely arrival, Lyrian. That argument would have only gotten worse from there,” Aldwin said to me as he leaned forward onto his desk and clasped his hands together. “Is there something that you needed me for? I don’t suppose you saw or heard whatever noise pulled Sierra and Dyre away from our meeting on your way up?”
“Actually, I was involved in that noise,” I admitted to Aldwin without any hesitation. “There was an incident with a group of new Adventurers, and I’m not so sure that Dyre resolved it appropriately or was able to resolve it appropriately.”
“I suppose a day was longer than I expected before an incident involving the new Adventurers occurred,” Aldwin said with resignation, casting me a curious look at the last part of my statement. “What happened exactly and how did you get involved? I expected you to be with Stanton for quite a while longer dealing with the...news…that he had brought us.”
“So did I. But we were interrupted…” I began as I then went on to explain everything that had happened with Mozter, describing the dark elf’s challenge, our duel, and Dyre’s subsequent punishment.
“It sounds to me like Dyre did his job adequately,” Aldwin told me as soon as I finished my story. “This…Mozter fellow has been punished, and now that he’s banished, he is no longer our problem.”
“I feel given the scope of his crimes, he needed to be made an example of, and then banished,” I stated. “Dyre let him off far too easy for my tastes.”
“I’m not so sure he did, Lyrian,” Aldwin said flatly. “By your own words, you killed Mozter yourself during your duel, brutally from the sounds of it, and claimed his equipment. Anything more than that, on top of his banishment would seem…excessive, if not tyrannical. As it is, it’s not as if the death penalty means anything for you Adventurers.”
“That’s exactly what I mean,” I told Aldwin empathetically. “You don’t punish an Adventurer by killing him, inflicting pain, or taking his equipment away. You punish him by taking his time away.”
“Time?” Aldwin looked at me with confusion. “Why does that matter?”
“Because that’s all that we have that’s valuable to us,” I said. “Think about it. Death means nothing. Pain fades away into memory. Equipment can be replaced. But time is something that we can never get back. Killing him and humiliating him were good first steps, but keeping him and his group prisoner for a few days would have driven the point home.”
Aldwin looked at me thoughtfully as he stroked his beard, his expression looking hesitant, “I think I understand what you’re getting at a little better, Lyrian.”
“But we simply don’t have the resources to manage to build a prison for Aldford just yet. As it is, we have our hands full trying to build enough housing for the new arrivals, let alone finish the Crafting Hall, palisade or any of the other buildings we need!”
“It isn’t that we need a formal prison,” I countered while trying to get my thoughts straight. “At least not yet. If we truly needed to imprison someone we can take a few shovels and a fistful of leather straps and simply bury the offender in the ground up to their necks.”<
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Aldwin stared at me in disbelief at what I was proposing, “Lyrian…I don’t even know where to begin with that! We treated orc and goblin prisoners with more dignity and honor than that! And they threatened to completely wipe us out to the last woman and child!”
“Then how else do you punish an immortal?” I asked Aldwin pointedly while waving at myself. “Because that’s what we Adventurers are. Granted my example may be a little unusual, but taking away our time is the most meaningful punishment that I can think of to serve as a deterrent for future incidents. Right now, it isn’t about having a prison in Aldford. It is the way that Aldford’s laws are written and how Dyre is enforcing them.”
“When the incident with Mozter arose, Dyre told me that we are unable to detain any adventurers that may break the law in the town, simply because we have no laws that allow for him to do that, regardless if we have a place to put them.”
“I think I begin to see your point,” Aldwin said while appearing deep in thought. “The laws I included in the Town Charter during the founding of Aldford are basic guidelines at best. I hadn’t anticipated ever having to write them with a Justicar in mind or growing so quickly. But if we are fortunate enough to have one here to enforce the law, then we need to make sure that the most appropriate laws are in place to ensure that Dyre is able to do his job adequately and as best suits Aldford.”
“Exactly,” I told Aldwin with a firm nod. “And as Bann of the settlement, those laws have to come from you. The sooner we can tell the Adventurers what to expect, the better Aldford will grow for the future. We need better assurances than simple Frontier Justice to those that are wronged, and real consequences for those that break them.”
“I understand better now, Lyrian,” Aldwin replied, though the hesitant look on his face was at odds with his words. “But isn’t all of this a bit…trivial, given the danger that lurks beneath us? As much as it pains me to say, perhaps we should be preparing to evacuate Aldford until it is resolved? Assuming it can be at all.”
“I don’t think we’re at that point just yet,” I said, feeling my heart twist at the thought of abandoning Aldford. “Nor do I think we should let word about the Ley Line spread to the rest of the town.”
“You want to keep it secret?” Aldwin looked surprised at my statement. “Why? It seems to me that we could use any and all help if we are going to have a chance at finding a way underground to where the Ley Line sits.”
“Because I am not so sure I entirely believe or trust what Stanton has told us,” I said while trying to find a gentle way of breaking the news that Lazarus and his friends had told me and the suspicions that I now carried.
“What you mean?” Aldwin immediately looked worried. “Do you believe that he’s lying about the rupture? To what end?”
“I don’t believe he’s lying about the rupture, considering that I have seen it with my own eyes through an Ætherscope. But I also don’t believe that he’s being completely honest about his motivations either,” I replied. “Tell me, just how well do you know Stanton? Did you ever have dealings with him before?”
“Nothing formal,” Aldwin said as he considered my question. “I’ve only met him a handful of times in my life, and even then, only during social events where I was attending the Prince. He is a cousin of some sort to the Queen, though I’d have to consult a family tree to know exactly how they are related to one another. Why do you ask?”
“Because, shortly after the incident with Mozter occurred, I was approached by the group of Adventurers that Stanton brought with him. The ones he claimed declined from attending the meeting.” I saw Aldwin eyebrow rise in curiosity as I spoke.
“And?” he prompted.
“They didn’t decline to attend the meeting; they were barred from it,” I stated. “Citing that Stanton didn’t trust them to support his story during it. Furthermore, they considered themselves here against their will.”
“And do you believe them?” Aldwin asked. “During the meeting, Stanton did mention that they were uncooperative and if he told outright falsehoods, Dyre would have made a note of that.”
“Wait, Dyre can do that?” I looked at Aldwin, feeling caught off guard, suddenly remembering what Dyre had said while speaking to Mozter. “He can just tell when people are lying?”
“Of course,” Aldwin replied with an indifferent nod. “All Justicars can. It is what makes them so effective and sought after.”
“I didn’t know that,” I said quietly, as I absorbed the implications. I had assumed that Dyre saw through Mozter’s lies due to practiced skill and the evidence against him, not because of divine aid.
If Stanton lied through omission and not deliberate falsehoods, then Dyre wouldn’t have picked anything up. A growl escaped my throat as a new wave of frustration swept over me, realizing just how far out of my depth I was. But at the same time, if Lazarus is telling the truth, that means Stanton was then able to manipulate the whole conversation even with a Justicar present to evade letting anything slip.
Yet, what if Lazarus has his own goals though and is trying to make me second guess everything Stanton told us? Stanton might very well be the honest one in this situation and Lazarus not. Or Stanton may have sent Lazarus to us…
“Are you okay, Lyrian?” Aldwin said with concern, looking at me with surprise. “Did I say something to upset you?”
“It’s not you,” I replied, shaking my head as I leaned forward in my chair and ran my hands through what remained of my hair. “I am going crazy in my head trying to make sense of everything that’s happened today, and I’m realizing now that I have no idea what to do or who to trust.”
“I’m not sure I’m following, Lyrian,” Aldwin said. “What exactly did the Adventurers tell you that has you so worked up?”
“Are you sure you want to know?” I asked Aldwin, giving him a serious look. “If I do, you might not be able to look at Stanton or Veronia the same way again.”
“That bad?” Aldwin commented, before shaking his head and sighing deeply. “Tell me everything. You are the only reason why Aldford still remains free and standing. As long as I am alive, I won’t allow you to carry your burdens alone.”
“Thank you.” I breathed with relief, a part of me worried that Aldwin might have taken me up on my offer. “The Adventurers told me that Stanton and Veronia were planning to annex Aldford for Eberia, and to remove you from your position as Bann.”
From my opening words, Aldwin stared at me in stunned disbelief as I then went on to explain everything that Lazarus and his friends had told me, leaving nothing out. At first, Aldwin’s expression began with sullen resignation, before gradually shifting into anger as I finished my story.
“That’s why she pushed so hard to get a garrison up here in the town,” Aldwin said, his knuckles white as they clutched the edge of his desk. “It isn’t enough that they exiled me out here and now they want to depose me! Haven’t I given enough for Eberia?”
“Who, Veronia?” I asked numbly, feeling deflated after sharing my story. “She wanted to put soldiers up here?”
“Yes,” Aldwin spat while letting go of the desk and clasping his hands together. “Before our conversation…deteriorated. She mentioned that her father would want to send protection here as a gesture of goodwill after the incident with the Bandit Adventurers and to ensure something like that never happened again. I refused her, citing their impending conflict with The Ascendancy and not wanting to be drawn into it, but she became more insistent…it didn’t go well after that.”
“So, you believe that the Adventurers may be telling the truth?” I queried, watching Aldwin shake his head in response.
“I don’t know,” Aldwin grunted harshly as he continued to work through his anger. “But this stinks of politics. For one, when I asked for an escort to lead us out here during the founding of Aldford and to protect us for a time, I couldn’t get so much as a vague promise for assistance out of the military. But now that Aldford has something valuable, V
eronia is trying to practically force a company of soldiers down my throat.”
“Which would answer to someone Eberian, not someone from Aldford,” I pointed out.
“And give her the manpower to remove me physically,” Aldwin stated bitterly while nodding at me. “Which would cause a bloodbath if Adventurers like yourself decided to stand against them. While I would personally find it hard to raise arms against an Eberian soldier, I daresay many of you wouldn’t.”
“No,” I admitted, knowing that if Aldford was under attack by anyone, regardless of their origin, I wouldn’t hesitate in fighting them. “But would you want us to?”
Aldwin gave me a sharp look. “What I want is Eberia to leave me alone! I have given them my entire adult life in service, forgone marriage and children to duty, even willingly accepted exile to ensure that the nation wouldn’t tear itself apart due to my presence! Now they seek to take the last thing I have left to my name!
“I have had enough!” Aldwin said forcefully, slamming his fist on the desk. “I don’t know what Emilia sent Stanton here to do, or how Veroina has become involved in this all, or what these Adventurers could possibly want, but I will not risk even the slightest chance of being ejected from my new home.”
“Then what are we going to do?” I asked the Bann with frustration in my voice, hoping he had a better insight into what our next move was. “Assuming Stanton isn’t lying about the Ley Line, we will have to find a way to address that or Aldford will be destroyed. But then if we do somehow figure out a way to repair the Ley Line, we will be exposed to whatever they’re planning, if they’re planning something. We still don’t know for sure.”
“Stanton is an Eberian noble,” Aldwin said bitterly. “Plotting and intrigue is second nature to their kind. Truthfully, I was prepared for him to do something when I had heard he had arrived. However, I merely expected him to demand early repayment of the debt that I owe House Denarius and cut his losses.”
“And can they force you out based on that debt?” I queried, trying to think of any legal ways Stanton or House Denarius could take control of Aldford.
Legacy of the Fallen (Ascend Online Book 2) Page 16